Police, June 16

A 30-year-old Fern Glen man and a 24-year-old Nescopeck woman face charges after items were reported stolen in Sugarloaf Township.

Christopher Elmore and Michelle J. Santiago were charged with theft and conspiracy by township police.

According to arrest papers, two victims told police metal items were stolen from their properties on April 11.

The first victim reported that the items included a heavy-duty rock bit attachment for an excavator, chain binders, chains, excavator bucket teeth and a pallet fork, valued at $3,442.16, police wrote. A neighboring property owner reported items missing that included angle iron poles and sheet metal, valued at $750, court papers state.

Elmore and Santiago were arraigned June 2 by Magisterial District Judge Daniel O'Donnell, Sugarloaf Township, who set bail at $10,000 unsecured each.

Hazleton incidents

Hazleton police alleged the following in recent reports. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-459-4940 or 911:

- Thomas Rivera, 33, of 838 Alter St., was cited for disorderly conduct for a noise complaint at his residence at 9:18 p.m. Saturday.

- Several boys engaged in a fight in the area of North Pine and Maple streets around 4 p.m. Saturday. No injuries were reported.

- A man walked out of the Giant supermarket on South Locust Street on June 4 with more than $200 worth of meat and crabmeat. The man entered the store around 4:20 p.m. and was last seen getting into a white sedan, possibly a Buick.

- Cesar Escamilla, 39, of North Poplar Street, Hazleton, was cited for public drunkenness following an incident in the area of Alter and Second streets Saturday at 12:53 a.m.

- Joseph Kolcun, 65, Hazleton, was cited for harassment after he threw dirt onto his neighbor's sidewalk Friday at about 8:51 p.m.

- Cherie Franklin, 32, was cited for disorderly conduct after officers responded to the 400 block of West Oak Street on Sunday around 12:02 a.m. for a noise disturbance.

- Joseph Krouse, 21, North Locust Street, Hazleton, drove a vehicle into a utility pole at 11th Street and Lafayette Court on Sunday around 2:46 a.m. He will be charged with driving under the influence and other traffic-related offenses. Krouse was injured and taken by American Patient Transport Systems Inc. to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton. His vehicle was towed.

- Between 9 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday, someone smashed the window out of a front door to a building in the 300-block area of West Ninth Street.

Man charged in break-in, assault

A Hazleton man faces a number of charges after state police at Frackville said he broke into a business and assaulted another Hazleton man.

According to police, Miguel Inoa, 21, broke into the Steelcase facility in Humboldt Industrial Park in East Union Township around 6:40 p.m. Friday and assaulted an employee, Lewis Arvelo, 24, with a 5-foot pole. Police said Arvelo was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton.

- Charges were filed against Christopher L. Hill, 27, New Ringgold, for a March 22 theft at Wal-Mart costing $159.76. Hill faces charges of retail theft, receiving stolen property, and criminal conspiracy to commit retail theft. Carl Rex Jr., 39, Tamaqua, also faces charges for theft by deception, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy charges after Rex returned the items Hill took and was given a gift receipt for $169.35.

- Township police have an active arrest warrant for Casey A. Kreiger, 27, Oneida. She was charged with felony counts of retail theft and receiving stolen property, along with a summary charge for defiant trespass, after a May 29 theft at Wal-Mart, Hometown. Kreiger is accused of taking two items valued at $301.94

Arrest made after alleged jewelry theft

Sugarloaf Township police arrested a woman after jewelry was reported stolen May 10 from a township home.

Sheila Gimbi, unknown address, was charged with a third-degree felony count of theft, court papers state, and was arraigned June 3 by Magisterial District Judge Daniel O'Donnell, Sugarloaf Township, who set bail at $5,000 unsecured.

According to court papers, Gimbi is accused of taking about $5,000 worth of jewelry while inside a home on the Conyngham-Drums Road.

Man allegedly assaulted teenager

A Freeland man assaulted a juvenile June 2, police said.

Michael J. Gillen, 42, was charged with three counts of harassment and one count of simple assault by borough police.

He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Diana Malast, Plains Township, June 3, who set bail at $2,500.

Arrest papers state the 15-year-old victim said he was punched on the left side of his body and in the nose twice by Gillen in a Ridge Street home.

The teenager, who was bleeding from his nose, was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton.

Three accused of passing bad checks

After six checks cashed at the Mahoning Township Wal-Mart turned out to be fraudulent, three people face charges.

Mahoning Township police charged Ryan Rehrig, 34, Nesquehoning, with forgery, identity theft, theft by deception and conspiracy counts. He was arraigned June 4 by Magisterial District Judge Casimir Kosciolek, Lansford, who set bail at 10 percent of $40,000.

Leanna M. Altemose, 28, Lehighton, was charged with theft and two counts of conspiracy while Ashley M. Marasiak, 26, Lehighton, was charged with identity theft, theft and conspiracy. Altemose was arraigned by Kosciolek on Thursday, who set bail at 10 percent of $50,000. Magisterial District Judge Edward Lewis, Jim Thorpe, set Marasiak's bail at 10 percent of $50,000 during her Friday arraignment.

Their arrests came after loss-prevention workers at the store told police six fraudulent checks were cashed at the courtesy desk June 6 totaling $2,366, court papers state. The account number on the checks was a Pennsylvania state account and the Pennsylvania Department of Treasury never authorized the transactions, police wrote. Police said they could not find the man whose name was listed on the checks as the account holder.

As officers investigated they found Rehrig cashed the checks along with Altemose and Marasiak, court papers state.

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